The Irish standard., 1887-06-25
AG|Fr TO OUR HOLY FATHER
On the Occasion of His Fiftieth Ami
versary as Priest Of the
Catholic Church.
A MOST SIGNIFICANT CUSTOM
As Explained by Eliza Allen Starr in
Recent Issue Of The
Church Progress.

Recent Issue Of The
Church Progress
There is a custom in converts of OBJ
serving or celebrating the name-feast
of q Superior: by presenting to her a
bouquet, not of flowers growing in any
garden or hot ot.house. nor in the open
fields in summer time, but spiritual
bouquet the flowers, the buds, the
leaves, even the stems of which are
prayers. Each Sister of the commun-
ity promises to hear so many masses,
offer so many communions, beads, sta
tions, or good works OF any sort, in be-
half Of her Superior; and thus our
happy mother In the midst Of her
daughters, does not indeed see herself
loaded down with visible gifts. b,tt her
soul is encouraged and consoled by
knowing that ali these spiritual engines
will be set in motion to obtain for her a
better under standing of her duties, and
more ability to perform them.
This beautiful and most significant
custom, known in converts all over
the world, has been extended to us
people living i'm the world, Ivy the
daughters of St. Teresa. the Discalced
Carmelites, Of ls4 Barrack street, New
Orleans, in behalf of our Holy Father,
Leo Kill, on the occasion of his Golden
Jubilee, it being this present year 1887,
fifty years since he was ordained a
priest Of TIE Church of which he is now
the visible head.
In addition to this meritorious motive
to offer prayers in behalf of the Holy
Father, these Ca1melites, with that
richness OF invention by which the
merits of simple good works are dou
bled and even tripled by an additional
motive, propose that ali these good
works be offered as acts of reparation
to the Holy Face of our Lord, for all
the blasphelnies uttered throughout
the world, and through all ii e; and
with this incredible increase Of value.
to be offered in behalf Of our Holy
Father, Leo XIII.
In order TO put these. gifts in COM
mand OF the faithful children Of the
Church, the Carlnelite Sisters have is
sued form--.a picture of the Holy
Face at one corner, with asufficient ex-
planation. also, of the intuition, and
having blanks to be filled according to
the will or ability OF all who wish to
give consolation and encouragement to
the heart of our Holy Pontitf, sorely
tried as he is by so many defections and
shortcomings, even among Catholics.
These leaflets have been sent far and
wide, and when we consider how many
would be glad to do something for the
Holy Father, yet have bat small means,
we can think If nothing more likely to
unite the hearts Of Catholics to their
Head than cooperation in this work of
prayer. When distributed at the hands
OF those who have received them in
large packages from the Sisters, it is
only necessary to have the blank spaces
filled out with the name OF the person,
the number Of prayers promised by
each, and thus returned to the 9istribu-
tors, who will forward these leaflets to
the Sisters in New Orleans; who, in
their turn, Will send them to the Direc-
tor Of the ArchconfTaternity Of the
Holy Face, thence to have their con-
tents duly communicated to the Holy
Father himself.
We have taken pains to give explana-
tion in detail of this significant and
beautiful form Of expressing our regard
for, and our fealty to the Sovereign
Pontiff. because manv receive the leaf
lets without seeming to understand that
they are to be returned, keeping them
instead, snugly in their own prayer
books.
Nor must we forget the devotion of
reparation by which the Carmelites
have contrived to enrich our gift with
.'inestimable pearls" This reparation
to the Holy Face covers not only those
terrible words b]aspheming the name
anG the person of our lord. but those
blasphemous denials Of His divinity, of
His omniscence, of His omnipotence. so
rife in the world at this very time.
What Catholic, even if not very pious,
has not shuddered. not only at words
uttered, but at whole blasphemous sen
tences printed, put before the young of
all classes, defying. as it were, the ON
impotence that can punish, as we'll as
spurning the mercy that redeems, and
yet unable, it would seem. to offer any
fitting reparation? 10 such, how CRATE
sful will be this opportunity to repair, in
some small measure, for the irreverences
committed against our Lord! Nor is
this reparation to be confined to those
who have made their first communion.
The smallest child that can say an :. Our
Father OF an. 4 Hail Mary '''can offer this
asa reparation to the Holy Face in be-